Scyllacerta

Scyllacerta is an extinct genus of neodiapsid stem-reptile known from the late Permian (Wuchiapingian age) Teekloof Formation (Endothiodon Assemblage Zone) of South Africa. The genus contains a single species, Scyllacerta creanae, known from a preserved aggregation of at least six articulated individuals, four of which have articulated skulls. This specimen was originally identified as immature individuals of the closely related genus Youngina, but it is now classified as a distinct member of the stem-reptile family Younginidae, of which it is the oldest known member. It is also the oldest unambiguous neodiapsid. Scyllacerta bears a tympanic fossa on the back of its skull, suggesting that the middle ear of living reptiles was present in their Permian ancestors. Despite the small size of the known Scyllacerta individuals compared to Youngina, they likely represent nearly mature animals.